The semi-weekly fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1886-1887, 1887-11-29
A Big CIRCUS BURNED.
Barnum's Winter Quarters at
Bridgeport Destroyed.
The Greater Part of the Wild
Animals Lose their Lives.

The main building of Barnums winter
quarters, at Bridgeport Conn, where The
Greatest Show on Earth" is kept through the
winter, was entirely destroyed by fire at
1880 Sunday evening. The loss is
about $500, 600; insured for 500, ZOO.
Three elephants and all the menagerie
excepting one lion and hippopotamus
were burned. Thirty elephants and one huge
African hippopotamus burst through the sides
of the burning building and rushed roaring
through the streets. Six of the elephants
were terribly burned. Great pieces
Of flesh fell from their sides. and their blood
spattered the ground as they ran. The af-
righted spectators dared not approach the
burning building, fearing the crazed ami
mails
The fire started in the horse room. A
Waterman was going his rounds when his
lantern exploded, the light hay caught fire
and in less than ten minutes the entire
building was in flames it was 600
fest long by 200 wide. All the
ring horses were burned. In the
second story were the seats, tents. poles and
piumes, also all the harnesses and trappings
Tor street parades and ring per
formances. In the cat room were
mons, tigers, hyenas. and the tri-menag-
erie. In this room the howls and means
OF the dying beasts were terrible. They were
burned pin wooden cages on clumsy wheels
and no effort was made to save any of them
and are loose in the streets. IN the elephant
room were thrty-nine elephants. Three were
burned, SIX escaped through the sides of the
building, and the remainder broke their chains
and ran through the open door to the street
The keeper was away and no effort was made
20 capture the Infatuated animals. Some ran
toward the open country.
thousands of spectators fiocked to see the
ire. but when 1t became known that the ami
mails were loose hundreds rushed to their
homes and barricaded themselves in. The
loss on the building is $4,000, and on the
animals 100000, and on fixtures $300,000
+. /. Barnum was at the Murray Hill
Hotel, New York, and James Bailey, his
partner, is at his home in Bridgeport. Mr..
BrOtherell, Barnum'S agent, said that the
bindings would be rebuilt i'll Jersey CITY. as
the railroad facilities We're greater there
than at Bridgeport. Charles McLain and
Louis Hedger, Barnums agents, began to
make arrangements for new animals and at
fractions before the fire was out
The fire was fierce that no effort was
made by the firemen to save the building: it
turned like finder. Streams of water were
thrown upon the adjoining buildings. The
chariot house and the car sheds were saved
All the chariOts, band, and 6ableau wagons
were run cut into the adjoining fields
The sacred white elephant was among the
animals burned 1t started for the door, but
turned back and persisted. A lion mutilated
tie leg OF George Tucker He was carried
INTO the Atlantic Hotel, and BARLEY O'Con-
nor, the hotel surgeon, dressed the wound.
The first intimation of the fire was given
by the roaring OF the lions and tigers, which
seemed to realize the impending danger
Next the elephants struggled in their chains,
but in incredibly short time the
flames swept from one end of the huge
structure to the other. There were
six watchmen employed on the
premises, but they were helpless to check the
flames. The upper portion of the building was
dlled with hay and all the paraphernalia of
the great show. Before the first alarm ceased
sounding, the whole building was enveloped
IN fire.
trained stations, ponies, &c. These were
all burned In the upper rooms were all the
tents, poles, seats, harnesses, &c, for the
entire show, and these too, We're all
destroyed In the cat room were the birds
monkeys, three rhlnOcerOSeS, hyenaS, tigers,
lions, and all the menagerie, which
fell prey to the flames. So rapidly did
the flames leap across the main building that
the firemen made no attempt to save 1t, but
turned their streams upon the chariot and car
sheds, which they succeeded in saving: but
the heat was so intense that this was accom-
pished with the greatest difficulty
The lion which the police attempted to kill
at the time the fire broke out was afterward
found In n barn devOuring a COW which he
had killed. He was shot
The Waterman making his rounds diScov-
cred the fire and started to give the alarm
when some unknown person hit him on the
head with a blunt instrument, telling him to
the ground and cutting a number of severe
gashes on his head. He staggered to his feet
and gave the alarm, enabling the other
narin@ for bed. TO escaDe